Charles Faudree via Cote de Texas

(Charles Faudree via Cote de Texas)

Before & After With Interior Designer Marlene Buckner

We've encouraged interior designers in our area to show us their before and after pictures of projects they've completed. We want to give you an idea through their examples why we recommend you use an interior designer.

Our latest example is from Marlene Buckner, president elect of ASID Oregon Chapter, and a consummate professional having passed the National Council for Interior Design Qualification Exam (NCIDQ)

This 1916 residence in Dunthorpe was designed by famous Portland Architect Wade Hampton Pipes. The kitchen was so small the family ate at the farm table that doubled as a work surface. After Marlene designed an 8 foot addition on the opposite end of the room and developed the kitchen design with the homeowners, a new larger kitchen emerged that included an island and nook with built-in banquette seating (in the old kitchen location).



True to the period, painted cabinets with inset doors from Wood-Mode were installed and a satin-etched Mysore Black granite counter was chosen for its aged appearance.

Challenges included lacing in and finishing the new oak kitchen floor to blend seamlessly with the original 90-year-old oak floors found everywhere else. The oven cabinet also required careful modification to bypass the top two steps to the landing above that were hidden in a soffit.

Due to the complexity of this addition and the beauty of its integration with the original home, this project received the 2008 ORA Outstanding Remodeling Achievement Award as well as the prestigious national Chrysalis Award for Best Residential Addition in its price category.

Marlene Buckner specializes in Spatial Design, Kitchens, Baths, and Interiors and is a Certified Kitchen and Bath Designer through NKBA.

Bev & Mike
Landfair Furniture + Design gallery
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Waterworks .25 Bathroom Line

Contemporary bathroom from ArtCeram - the new La Fontana bathroom

Modern Bedroom Interior Design

Modern Bedroom Interior Design

Thank-You Cards

Thank You, Thank You, Thank You....
Because of the exhibit showcase I just put on, we've been working on invitations, press releases, installations and so much more, but one of the things I think is still important in art and in etiquette is Thank You cards. SFGirlbythebay blog just put on a great blog post about Thank You cards, but I scoured Etsy.com to bring you the best.

(All above photos from Etsy.com, search Thank You cards.)

(picture source)

What do you think? Do you still send Thank You cards?

Snake Skin & Crocodile Skin bathroom decor from Ceramica Cielo

Modular Bathroom Design by Althea Ceramica - the Plus contemporary bathroom

Minimalist Bedroom Decorating Ideas

Katie Ritter via Cote de Texas

(Katie Ritter via Cote de Texas)

Modern Interiors - Specht Harpman

Modern Interiors - Specht Harpman, originally uploaded by plastolux.

Modern Interiors - Specht Harpman as seen on plastolux

Modern Italian bathroom suite from Toscoquattro - the Le Acque bathroom

Hoesch Sensamare Komplettbad - the Complete Luxury Modern Bathroom

Landfair Furniture Adds Woodard Outdoor Furniture

Landfair Furniture is proud to add Woodard, an outdoor furniture line, to our list of vendors. For over five years we have enjoyed Woodard furniture in our backyard. The table chairs, and lounge look as nice today as the day we brought them home. To keep it looking nice, we cover it in the winter and occasionally wipe off the top.

For over 140 years Woodard outdoor furniture has earned a reputation as the epitome of elegance and class. Woodard is described as the premier innovator of casual outdoor furniture through an exceptional blend of design and craftsmanship. Their furnishings are created with the unparalleled standards established by founder Lyman Woodard.

Each piece of Woodard wrought iron furniture is hand crafted using the best wrought iron available.

Their casual aluminum furniture combines innovative design, superior materials and painstaking construction. Woodard says they only use the heaviest, purist and strongest aluminum extrusions available, surpassing the toughest of industry standards.

Woodards wicker line, All Seasons Outdoor Wicker is hand woven and made from a strong polyester yarn core with a scratch resistant PVC solution dyed outer wrap. The frame on each piece is guaranteed to remain rust free, and each piece is promoted to withstand the harsh outdoor elements.

We've been looking for an outdoor line. Funny, we only needed to look in our backyard.

Bev & Mike
Landfair Furniture + Design Gallery
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Modern TV Wall Units and Media Centers

Window Coverings 2

Sensational Solid Wood Furniture by Bergmann - modern furniture with a rustic touch

What Color Is Comfort By Nicolette Toussaint

We believe interior designers are their best advertisement for themselves and their business of helping the public live in a home they deserve. We consistently encourage interior designers to get a blog and tell us about your projects, share with us the before and after pictures and the problems that were solved.

Here's an example of a designer, not local however, who posts an excellent piece about color and comfort. Nicolette Toussaint owns Comfort & Joy Interior Design in San Francisco, CA and here's what she shared:

In this post, (What Color Is Comfort) I will talk about the emotional impact of color – about what colors make us comfortable in what circumstances – and also about how color influences our perception of space and place. Most of my recent design jobs here in San Francisco have been color consultations, and this post will share some of those experiences. At the end, you should have a pretty good idea of what the color of comfort might be for you.

It's a long post, but filled with tons of worthwhile information.

Bev & Mike
Landfair Furniture + Design gallery
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At Home and Work with Kimberly Ayres

Kimberly Ayres could have been another casualty of the demise of Domino magazine but since the photos of her home and office were taken by my friend Eric Cahan, I get to introduce you to this Designer to Watch for 2009 instead! Kimberly, like many designers, started out renovating and decorating her own houses while she was practicing law as a way to relax. Luckily for the design world, law was not her calling and as she told me, "friends began to ask for decorating advice and I realized I might have a chance to do something I loved and I couldn't be happier with my career switch!"

"After completing studies at International Fine Arts in Miami and at UCLA in Los Angeles, Kimberly jumped head first into an apprenticeship with internationally renowned designer Kelly Wearstler, and continued her development with designer Michael Lee in Malibu. In 2000, Kimberly launched Kimberly Ayres Interior Design in Los Angeles where she quickly established a notable clientele and reputation for deftly mixing eras and cultures. In 2006, she opened her much admired Kimberly Ayres Home furnishings and accessories store in San Francisco."

In the breakfast room, the parterre and curtain fabric is from Raoul Textiles in Santa Barbara. The table is vintage from Blackman Cruz. The chairs are vintage from Kimberly's friend and boutique owner Gabriella Sarlo. The chandelier is vintage. "For parties, we clear out the chairs and this table becomes the bar," says Kimberly.

The room above is the dining room in Kimberly's apartment. Her description cracks me up! "This apartment was loaded with mirrored walls when I found it. Really scary on a bad hair day. Most were removed, but I kept this one. The artwork is a collage created by Lulu de Kwiatkowski from an Eric Cahan photograph. My all-time favorite ebay purchase is the blue pigskin/suede sideboard. The parson's table and the chairs are vintage. The chandelier is Moth Design from my store."

In Kimberly's bedroom, the bed is from Oly and the lamp is from Christopher Spitzmiller. The wallpaper is the Montague print from Twenty2. The curtain fabric is from Nina Campbell and the table is the Bungalow 5 Jacqui Side Table from Eboniste. The painting is vintage.

A beautiful bedroom vignette close up.

In the guest room, the headboard is custom and the pillow fabric is Christopher Farr - Cloth. Kimberly says, "I love this quilt. It's designed and made by hand by my friend, Michael Pechenski." Moroccan lantern is an ebay find. I think the best thing about Kimberly's apartment is all the new sources and vendors that she has introduced to us all!

Kimberly's desk in her office is by Jonathan Adler but the cabinets and chair are vintage. The wallpaper is grasscloth from Twenty2 and looks like a great alternative to Phillip Jeffries, my usual source. "The french plaster sconce is by Moth Design, one of the lines we sell in the showroom," says Kimberly.

I posted this photo once before and it received a very positive response and now I can tell you that the vintage desk, lacquered in Farrow and Ball Dix Blue, is where Kimberly's lucky assistant, Angel Tasso, sits. The wallpaper is grasscloth in Neptune from Twenty2 while the lamp and chandelier are Moth Design in silver leaf finish. The chair is vintage and the drawing was found at Blackman Cruz.

"This room is in my office in San Francisco. The building is a tiny 1890's cottage in the Design District, serving as both my design studio and a showroom for the furnishings I sell. We carry new lines of lighting, accessories, wallpaper and fabric, as well as all sorts of vintage furnishings."

I think we can all agree that interior designer Kimberly Ayres made a great career switch and the design world had better look out! She's definitely one to watch and I can't wait to see what she does next!

Photos by Eric Cahan